Corticosteroids otc products

Steroids killed nine-year-old Lexie McConnell after only five
and a half weeks. In August 1993, Lexie was diagnosed as having
toxoplasmosis. The consultant put her on 80 mg per day of prednisolone.
Immediately, she suffered severe side effects, huge weight gain ,
terrible pains, holes in her tongue and black stools. After nearly
a month, at her parents' pleading, the doctors quickly lowered the
dosage to 60 mg, 40 mg, 20 mg. In excruciating pain, Lexie was taken
to a hospital, where it was discovered she'd contracted chickenpox.
Four days later, she died. A few years later, another eye specialist
declared that a simple course of antibiotics could have cleared
up her infection. The above excerpt is from Ursula Kelly's site

Oral and injectable systemic corticosterois are steroid hormones prescribed to decrease inflammation in diseases and conditions such as arthritis (rheumatoid arthritis, for example), ulcerative colitis, Crohn's disease, asthma, bronchitis, some skin rashes, and allergic or inflammatory conditions that involve the nose and eyes. Examples of systemic corticosteroids include hydrocortisone (Cortef), cortisone, prednisone (Prednisone Intensol), prednisolone (Orapred, Prelone), and methylprednisolone (Medrol, Depo-Medrol, Solu-Medrol). Some of the side effects of systemic corticosteroids are swelling of the legs, hypertension, headache, easy bruising, facial hair growth, diabetes, cataracts, and puffiness of the face.